Lecture 2 - Limit of functions

AMA140/150 Calculus

AMA140/150 Calculus

Lecture 2 - Limit of functions

Outline

Sequences
Limit
of functions
LimitLaws
of functions
Limit
One-sided limits
Sandwich Theorem
Limit at Infinity

AMA140/150 Calculus

Lecture 2 - Limit of functions

Limit of functions

Limit of functions
Let f (x ) be a function defined on an open interval I containing a point a,
except possibly at a. Then we say f has limit L at the point a and write
lim f (x ) = L,

x a

if for every number  > 0, there is a number > 0 such that

|f (x ) L| < 

whenever

0 < |x a| < .

In this case, we can also write f (x ) L as x a.

AMA140/150 Calculus

Lecture 2 - Limit of functions

Limit of functions

AMA140/150 Calculus

Lecture 2 - Limit of functions

Limit of functions
Example 2.1 Show that lim

x 1

1
= 1.
x

Solution. For any  > 0, take a small positive number > 0 such that
<


2

<

and

1
.
2

Then for any x with 0 < |x 1| < ,

|x | >
and

1
2

1
 |1 x |
<
= 2 < .
 1 =
x

By definition, lim

x 1

|x |

1/2

1
= 1.
x

AMA140/150 Calculus

Lecture 2 - Limit of functions

Limit Laws
Limit Laws
Suppose f and g are two functions such that
lim f (x ) = L

x a

and

lim g(x ) = K

x ba

and c is a constant.
1

lim c f (x ) = c L;

x a
2

lim f (x ) g(x ) = L K ;

x a
3

lim f (x ) g(x ) = L K ;

x a

lim

x a

f (x )
L
= , provided that K 6= 0.
g(x )
K

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Lecture 2 - Limit of functions

Limit Laws
Example 2.2 Evaluate the following limits by limit laws.
1

lim

x3 1
x 1

lim

x3 1
x 1

x 0

x 1

Solution.


3

lim

x 0

lim

x 1

x 1
=
x 1

lim x

x 0

3

lim 1
x 0

lim x lim 1

x 0

x 0

03 1
=1
01

(x 1)(x 2 + x + 1)
x3 1
= lim
= lim x 2 + x + 1 = 3
x 1
x 1
x 1
x 1

AMA140/150 Calculus

Lecture 2 - Limit of functions

Limit Laws

AMA140/150 Calculus

Lecture 2 - Limit of functions

Limit Laws
Example 2.3 Let
f (x ) =

Incorrect:

Correct:

x 1

x 6= 1,

x = 1.

x 1

lim f (x ) = lim 1 = 1.

x 1

x 1

lim f (x ) = lim

x 1

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x 1

x3 1
= 3.
x 1

Lecture 2 - Limit of functions

Limit Laws

x2 + 9 3
.
x2

Example 2.4 Evaluate the limit lim

x 0

Solution.
lim

x 0

x2 + 9 3
x2

lim

( x 2 + 9 3)( x 2 + 9 + 3)

x 2 ( x 2 + 9 + 3)

lim

x2

x 2 ( x 2 + 9 + 3)

x 0

x 0

lim

x 0

1
x2 + 9 + 3

1
02 + 9 + 3

1
.
6

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Lecture 2 - Limit of functions

One-sided limits
One-sided limits
Let f (x ) be a function defined on an open interval I containing a point a,
except possibly at a.
We say f has right-hand limit L at the point a and write
lim f (x ) = L,

x a+

if for every  > 0, there is a number > 0 such that

|f (x ) L| < 

whenever

0 < x a < .

We say f has left-hand limit L at the point a and write

lim f (x ) = L,

x a

if for every  > 0, there is a number > 0 such that

|f (x ) L| < 

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whenever

0 < a x < .

Lecture 2 - Limit of functions

One-sided limits

AMA140/150 Calculus

Lecture 2 - Limit of functions

One-sided limits
Example 2.5 Let

f (x ) =

3
x 1

x 1
1

x = 1,

4 2x

Right-hand Limit:
Left-hand Limit:
Limit:

x > 1,

x < 1.

lim f (x ) = lim

x 1+

x 1+

x3 1
=3
x 1

lim f (x ) = lim 4 2x = 2

x 1

x 1

lim f (x ) does not exist

x 1

Limit vs One-sided Limit

Given a function f . Then
lim f (x ) = L

x a

if and only if

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lim f (x ) = L = lim f (x ).

x a+

x a

Lecture 2 - Limit of functions

One-sided limits
Example 2.6 Let
f (x ) =

x2 1
.
|x 1|

Find lim f (x ), lim f (x ), and lim f (x ).

x 1+

x 1

x 1

Solution.
Right-hand limit:

Left-hand limit:

Limit:

lim f (x ) = lim

x2 1
= lim x + 1 = 2
x 1
x 1+

lim f (x ) = lim

x2 1
= lim (x + 1) = 2
(x 1)
x 1

x 1+

x 1

x 1+

x 1

lim f (x ) does not exist

x 1

AMA140/150 Calculus

Lecture 2 - Limit of functions

One-sided limits
Example 2.7 Let

f (x ) =

x 1

x 1
1

x =1

4x

Right-hand Limit:

Left-hand Limit:

Limit:

x > 1,

x < 1.

lim f (x ) = lim

x 1+

x 1+

x3 1
=3
x 1

lim f (x ) = lim 4 x = 3

x 1

x 1

lim f (x ) = 3

x 1

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Lecture 2 - Limit of functions

Sandwich Theorem
Sandwich Theorem
Suppose
g(x ) f (x ) h(x )
for all x in some open interval I containing a, except possibly a. If
lim g(x ) = lim h(x ) = L,

x a

x a

then
lim f (x ) = L.

x a

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Lecture 2 - Limit of functions

Sandwich Theorem
Example 2.8 Show that lim x 2 sin
x 0

1
= 0.
x

Solution. Notice that

x 2 x 2 sin

1
x2
x

for all x ,

and
lim x 2 = 0 = lim x 2 .

x 0

x 0

By Sandwich Theorem,
lim x 2 sin

x 0

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1
= 0.
x

Lecture 2 - Limit of functions

An important limit
An important limit
lim

x 0

sin x
= 1.
x

Proof. First we can show that for sufficiently small > 0

sin x x tan x

x (0, ) .

Put x = y , we have
sin y y tan y

y (0, )

and hence
tan y y sin y

y (, 0) .

It follows that
cos x

sin x
1
x

x (, 0) (0, )

Since lim cos x = 1 = lim 1. By Sandwich Theorem, lim

x 0

x 0

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x 0

sin x
= 1.
x

Lecture 2 - Limit of functions

An important limit
Example 2.9 Evaluate lim

x 0

sin 2x
.
sin 3x

Solution.
lim

x 0

sin 2x
sin 3x

lim

2 sin 2x
3x

3
2x
sin 3x

lim

sin 2x
3x
2
lim
lim
x 0 sin 3x
3 x 0 2x

x 0

x 0

2
11
3

2
.
3

AMA140/150 Calculus

Lecture 2 - Limit of functions

Limit at Infinity
Limit at Infinity
Let f (x ) be a function defined on an open interval (b, ). Then we say f has
limit L as x approaches infinity and write
lim f (x ) = L,

if for every number  > 0, there is a number N > 0 such that

|f (x ) L| < 

whenever

x > N.

In this case, we can also write f (x ) L as x .

AMA140/150 Calculus

Lecture 2 - Limit of functions

Limit at Infinity

2x 2 + 1
.
x 3x 5
Solution. Notice that one well known result is

Example 2.10 Evaluate the limit lim

lim

1
= 0.
x

Therefore,

2x 2 + 1
lim
x 3x 5

1
x

2+
=

lim

5
x

r
lim 2 + lim

lim 3 lim

=
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1
x

5
x

2+0
2
=
.
30
3
Lecture 2 - Limit of functions

Limit at Infinity

Example 2.11 Evaluate the limit

lim

2x 2 + 1
.
3x 5

Solution. In this case,

lim

2x 2 + 1
3x 5

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2+

lim

3
+

2+0
33
++00

2
.
3

1
x

5
x

Lecture 2 - Limit of functions